Placental health clinic

The placenta is the world’s most under-rated ‘heart-lung machine’, responsible for the safe delivery of food and oxygen to meet the demands of a rapidly growing baby. Concerns about placental health may impact on the growth and well-being of the baby, or the risk of maternal pre-eclampsia, requiring expert surveillance and advice.

Clinic hours

  • Wednesday 2.00pm - 5.00pm

Introduction

Disorders of placental health and development are among the most important in all of obstetrics. Pre-eclampsia - a condition where toxins are released from an unhealthy placenta into the mother’s bloodstream - is responsible for 70,000 maternal lives being lost annually. Fetal growth restriction - where the placenta fails to supply sufficient oxygen and food to meet the needs of the growing baby - is responsible for approximately half of the world’s 3 million stillbirths every year. The placenta clinic offers targeted surveillance and care for women found to be at risk of severe pre-eclampsia, or where fetal growth restriction has been diagnosed in mid pregnancy. 

Our service

This clinic integrates high risk obstetric care with ultrasound expertise and fetal surveillance. In this clinic, close surveillance is offered for women at high risk of severe pre-eclampsia. In pregnancies where the baby is found to be very small, a careful screen for underlying causes will be undertaken and a tailored surveillance plan developed for the remainder of the pregnancy. In this clinic, women will be able to access information regarding clinical trials that may help treat these conditions, or be offered the opportunity to participate in our research program.

How to be referred

For clinicians - who can be referred?

Women with a past history of severe early onset pre-eclampsia, or past or current severe early onset fetal growth restriction ( onset <32 weeks). 

How to refer a patient

The team at placental health clinic

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